Full Dress (foaled 1966) was a French-bred, British-trained

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

and

broodmare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

best known for winning the

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1000 Guineas The 1000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile ...

in 1969. Full Dress was beaten on her first two starts as a two-year-old but then won the Crookham Stakes at

Newbury Racecourse Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse and events venue in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury, Berkshire, Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps. It hosts one of Great Britain's List of ...

. In the following spring she won the 1000 Guineas Trial Stakes at Ascot before surviving and objection to win the Guineas. She was beaten in her two subsequent races and was retired to stud where she had some success as a broodmare.

Background

Full Dress was a "neat and compact" bay mare with a narrow white blaze and one white foot bred in France by her owner R. B. "Budgie" Moller. She was sired by Shantung a French horse who finished third in the 1959

Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, more commonly known as the Derby and sometimes referred to as the Epsom Derby, is a Group races, Group 1 flat Horse racing, horse race in England open to three-year-old Colt (horse), colts and Filly, fillies. It is run at Ep ...

and also sired The Oaks winner Ginevra. Full Dress was the first foal of her dam Fusil, a winner of one minor race. Fusil was a granddaughter of the influential broodmare Mitrailleuse, whose other descendants included Commanche Run, One in a Million (1000 Guineas) and Swiftfoot ( Irish Oaks). The filly was sent into training with Harry Wragg at his Abington Place stable at Newmarket.

Racing career

1968: two-year-old season

Full Dress ran three times as a two-year-old in 1968, finishing unplaced on her debut and running fourth in her second start. On her final appearance of the year she won the Crookham Stakes over seven

furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to any of 660 foot (unit), feet, 220 yards, 40 rod (unit), rods, 10 chain (unit), chains, or a ...

s at

, beating a field which included Shoemaker, a colt who went on to finish second in the Derby.

1969: three-year-old season

On her three-year-old debut win the 1000 Guineas Trial Stakes over seven furlongs at

Ascot Racecourse Ascot Racecourse is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, about 25 miles west of London. Ascot is used for thoroughbred horse racing, and it hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 races and three Grade ...

. On 1 May Full Dress was one of thirteen fillies to contest the 156th running of the 1000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile course at

Newmarket Racecourse Newmarket Racecourse is a British Thoroughbred horse racing venue in Newmarket, Suffolk, Newmarket, Suffolk, comprising two individual racecourses: the Rowley Mile and the July Course. Newmarket is often referred to as the headquarters of ...

. Ridden by the Australian jockey Ron Hutchinson she started at odds of 7/1. Full Dress produced a "burst of speed" to take the lead in the closing stages and won by one and a half lengths from the

Lester Piggott Lester Keith Piggott (5 November 1935 – 29 May 2022) was an English professional jockey and horse trainer. With 4,493 career flat racing wins in Britain, including a record nine Epsom Derby victories, he is widely regarded as one of the grea ...

-ridden Hecuba. Piggott lodged an objection against the winner for causing interference in the closing stages but after an enquiry by the racecourse stewards the result was upheld. Full Dress failed to reproduce her classic winning form in two subsequent races. She was strongly fancied for the Oaks but pulled hard in the early stages and finished eighth of the fifteen runners behind

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. At Royal Ascot she finished fifth behind Lucyrowe in the Coronation Stakes.

Assessment

The independent Timeform organisation gave Full Dress a rating of 115 one the lowest ever awarded to a classic winner. In their book, ''A Century of Champions'', based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Full Dress a "poor" winner of the 1000 Guineas.

Breeding record

Full Dress was retired to become a broodmare, but produced no major winners. The best off her foals was probably Fairly Hot, a filly who finished third in the Musidora Stakes and produced the Dante Stakes winner Hot Touch (rated 126 by Timeform in 1983).

Pedigree

References

{{1000 Guineas winners 1966 racehorse births Racehorses bred in France Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Thoroughbred family 16-h 1000 Guineas winners